PAW AND ORDER

Dog Becomes Unexpected Suspect in Convenience Store Shooting

The dog managed to discharge a shotgun, hitting a nearby woman in the arm.

Police officers responding to a shooting discovered the alleged trigger man was actually a backseat pup. Officers with the Scottsbluff Police Department in Nebraska responded Saturday to reports that someone had been shot near a Short Stop convenience store, according to KNOP News. When officers arrived, they discovered damage to the passenger-side door of a truck that appeared to have been caused by a shotgun blast—not a BB gun as initially reported. Investigators say the truck’s driver had stopped at the convenience store with their dog riding in the backseat when the animal moved across the vehicle and accidentally triggered the loaded shotgun. The weapon discharged through the passenger-side door and struck a woman sitting at a nearby traffic light with her window rolled down. The woman was hit in her right arm and suffered injuries police described as non-life-threatening. She was later transported to Regional West Medical Center by a family member. The incident is currently under investigation by Scottsbluff police, who did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast’s request for comment.